Dough cutter



E. HAECKS DOUGH CUTTER Nov. 23, 1948.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 3, 1947 w Sm I INVENTOR. Erw/n Haec/rs GAA.

Patented Nov. 23, 1948 UNITED STATES VPATENT oFrlcr.l

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Application ctober 3, 1947, Serial No. 711,615

i claim. (ci. iov-21) This invention relates to improvements in dough cutters.

The principal object of this invention is to produce a machine which will cut a sheet of dough into strips of equal width, and then to cut these strips into short lengths which are afterward dropped into muilin pans in a predetermined Iposition, each piece of dough being placed in an individual cup of the pan.

A further object of the invention is to produce a device of the character described which is automatic in its operation from the time the dough is A A laid upon the cutter until the pans are delivered filled with dough from the machine.

A still further object is to produce a device o this character which is simple in construction, one which is sanitary and onewhich may be operated with a minimum amount of labor.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specication and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of my machine.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view showing the cutting mechanism.

In the making of raised biscuit such as butter l rolls, raised mumns and the like it has been customary to roll out large sheets of dough and then with a pastry knife to cut narrow stri-ps from the sheet and then to 'cut these strips into relatively short lengths, pick them up4 and individually place them cut edge downwardly into the individual cups of the muffin pans.

v This procedure is very slow and requires much handling involving much labor, which all increases the cost of bread of this type.

Applicant has, Itherefore, devised a machine wherein a layer of dough is passed through the machine and rolled to a predetermined thickness vand Icut into strips, certain of which strips are individually carried to a remote point and separated one from another so that the strips will overlie the individual cups of the mufiin pans and placed there beneath, and to then cut therefrom small portions of the str-ips and feed them downwardly so that they will drop in a predetermined position into the cups of the muflin pans.

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention the numeral 5 desighates a conveyor belt having a plurality of cross bars 3 positioned thereon, which cross bars serve to definitely position on the belt muihn pans, as shown at 1.

These mumn pans have individual cups 3 formed therein. v (Bee Fig. 4.)

This conveyor belt 3 is actuated from right to left of :the drawing with an intermittent movement. i v

The rollers for the bel-t are shown at 3 and Il and a-re supported in a framework designated as a whole by thenumeral I2.

The roller 3 is fixed on a shaft 9a whereon a belt pulley 9b is also iixed.

Positioned above the 'conveyor belt 5 and spaced therefrom is a conveyor feed belt I3 which is reeved over rollers I4 and I6 and between the upper-flight of the belt supporting rollersare employed, as shown at I1, the purpose of which is to keep the top flight from sagging.

Positioned above the conveyor feed belt I3 is a compression belt I3 which passes over rollers Il and 2| and has rollers 22 vbearing against the bottoni night of this compression belt so that the bottom flight will be spaced a definite distance from the belt I3.

In, horizontal alignment with the conveyor feed belt I3 is a plurality of `delivery lbelts as shown at 22, 23, 2l, 26, 21 and 28which belts consist of a linked chain as shown at 29. (See Fig. 1.) To this linked chain is cemented, or otherwise secured, the belt.

These chains are reeved over a series of spaced sprockets, as shown at 3| and 32. The sprockets 3l are in close side to side relation, as shown in Fig. 3, while the sprockets 32 are spaced from each other so that the ends of the delivery belts passing over the sprockets 32 will be spaced from each other a distance equal to the spacing of the cups l of the muiiin pans 1, the purpose of which will .be later seen.

In alignment with the delivery ends of the delivery belt 22 to 23 inclusive I position a cut off mechanism, which comprises a knife 33 supported by rollers 34 .traveling in a slot 36 formed in the sides of the frame I2.

A spring 31 normally retracts the blade 33 from its engagement with a cutter block 33 but is .reciprocated thereagainst by a rotating cam 33 mounted upon a rotating shaft 4I. This shaft Il has a belt pulley lla fixed thereon and the pulley a is connected to the pulley 3b by a belt lib.

In-order to guide the chains throughout their flexing and so that they will remain upon their respective sprockets, I provide guide plates "yl-2 and the action of which is obvious.

At Il I have shown a driven shaft upon which is mounted a plurality of cutting knives 4l. AThese cutting knives extend downwardly bctween the belts 22 to 2l inclusive and bear against rubber rollers l1 mounted upon a shaft ll. a'

Positioned at the delivery end ofthe belts 22 to 2l inclusive are driven rollers 49 and 5I, which serve to engage the downwardly extending end of the strips of dough and to momentarily hold them during the severing operation and to then drop the severed pieces of dough into the individual line of cups and at that time directly beneath the rollers in such a manner that the dough will be centered in the cup with one of its out ends engaging the bottom of the cup. The result of this construction is that when a sheet of dough is laid upon the feed conveyor belt i3 it will first be compressed against this belt by thecompressor belt i8 and will then be delivered to the divided delivery belts 22 to 28 inclusive, where it will be engaged by cutters `46 and cut into strips.

The two outside strips will be delivered through the troughs A and B away from the machine inasmuch as these two strips of dough are the edge pieces of th sheet of dough and consequently are uneven.

The remaining strips of dough which are lying upon the delivery belt will be delivered to a remote point, each strip being separated from its next adjacent strip a sufiicient distance to enter an individual cup or muiin pan, and when the strips are delivered over the discharge end of the delivery belts the strip will pass downwardly between the rollers 49 and 5I and be engaged thereby.

Intermittently, the knife 33 will be actuated so as to cut off a short length of dough from each of the strips, after the cutting of which the rollers 49 and 5l will drop the same into one of the cups of the mufiln pan.`

As the belt advances, the lled muln pans will eventually reach the end where they are co1- lected and placed in racks so that the dough may raise and fill the cups ready for baking.

It -will thus be seen that I have produced a device which will accomplish all of the objects above set forth. It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a dough cutter, a conveyor for supporting an elongated sheet of dough, rotary knives spaced across the conveyor for dividing the dough into strips and trimming the edges of the sheet, means for defiecting the edge trimmings laterally, dough strip supporting belts diverging forwardly from beneath the spaces between said knives, and a l pair of guide rollers. positioned to receive the dough'strips as they pass from the supporting belts and direct them downwardly, a reciprocating knifeoperating above said guide rollers, and meansto actuate said knife.

3. In a dough cutter, a conveyor for supporting an elongated sheet of dough, rotary knives spaced across the conveyor for dividing the dough into strips and trimming the edges of thefslieet, means for deilecting the edge trimmings laterally, dough strip supporting belts diverging forwardly from beneath the spaces between said knives, a pair of guide rollers positioned to receive the dough strips as they pass from the supporting belts and direct them downwardly, a reciprocating knife operating above said guide rollers, means to actuate said knife, said last means including a conveyor receiving the dough severed by the knife, a cam intermittently engaging said knife for movingit rearwardly, a spring drawing the knife forwardly, and a belt connecting said last conveyor with said cam.

4. In a dough cutter, a dough sheet feeding conveyor for supporting a, wide dough sheet,-

dough strip supporting means extending forwardly from the conveyor, a set of laterally spaced rotary cutting knives spaced across the strip supporting means with the knife edges extending between adjacent supporting means, said supporting means diverging forwardly of the knives, rubber collars against which said knife edges bear, guide means for deiiecting the severed edge strips laterally, a. pair of guide rollers positioned to receive the dough strips as they pass from the supporting belts and direct them downwardly, a reciprocating knife operating above said guide rollers, means to actuate said knife, said last means including a conveyor receiving the dough severed by the knife, a cam intermittently engaging said knife for moving it rear# wardly, a spring drawing the knife forwardly, and a belt connecting said last conveyor with said cam.

ERWIN HAECKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

